Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Flip

Original poster

Secondary School Admission Rules

15 replies

secondthebest · 22/10/2014 17:10

I wonder if anyone with knowledge of secondary school admissions can help me. My DS1 is at secondary school, and my Ds2 is in year 6 of primary school. Secondary school admissions are next week!

My DS1 does not want to go to his brother's secondary school (school A) due to various reasons, and there is another school (school B) he would prefer to go to, which is fine. If I put school B as first choice, and do not get it, we will automatically get a sibling place at our second choice, school A.

My question is, if my DS and I change our minds over the next few months, and realise we would prefer school A, what options do we have. I phoned our Local Authority and they said that we have to take our first choice and cannot go on a continuing interest list for our second choice, even though we have sibling priority.

Can anyone advise me on this, as I want to make the right decision!

OP posts:

prh47bridge · 22/10/2014 17:13

Once the closing date for applications has passed you cannot change the order of your preferences. If you are offered your first choice school you will not go on the waiting list for your second choice. However, if you accept the offer from your first choice then apply to your second choice they must put you on the waiting list.

Original poster

secondthebest · 22/10/2014 18:14

Ok, so if I accept the offer from the first school, I will have already applied to the second school, so can I then go on their waiting list?

OP posts:

PatriciaHolm · 22/10/2014 18:33

Once you are offered a school and accept, you are automatically removed from the waiting list for others. You would need to ring the LEA and tell them you wish to go on the waiting list for another school at that point, it won't be done automatically.

Original poster

secondthebest · 22/10/2014 18:43

Thanks. I think I need to phone my LEA back and check this with them, because they told me that I would not be able to do this as I would have been given my first choice school.

Also, if I was then able to be put on the continuing interest list for my second choice, would I have priority over other people due to the sibling policy?

OP posts:

PatriciaHolm · 22/10/2014 18:59

You would have priority (exact place depending on who else with siblings, special needs etc was on it) on the list once your child started there if they have such a policy, yes.

Original poster

secondthebest · 22/10/2014 20:29

What would happen if I got my first place, then phoned the LEA and they said that I can't go on any continuing interest list as I have already got my first choice school? This is what my LEA told me today when I phoned them!

OP posts:

admission · 22/10/2014 22:26

Then you quote the legislation at them. paragraph 2.21 of the 2012 regs says. "Any parent can apply for a place for their child at any time to any school outside the normal admissions round. " They may well come back and say this is the normal admissions round but the point of the legislation is that you can apply for a place at any time.
You do need, as others have pointed out that, to accept the place offered and then ask for the place that you now want. If places are available you might get lucky and be offered a place straight away but it is more likely that it will be full and that you will go on the continued interest list.
The problem the LA people have is that they do not understand the concept that people can and do change their mind. As far as they are concerned you have your first preference so everything must be OK, but anything can happen between the end of October and the 1st March to alter your views.

Original poster

secondthebest · 22/10/2014 23:16

Thank you. I will phone them tomorrow and ask again, quoting the legislation to them!

School A is oversubscribed every year so I would not automatically get a place. The school selects by lottery, but I assume that because of the sibling priority I would be at the top of the list when places become available? (after looked after children and special needs etc)

OP posts:

mummytime · 22/10/2014 23:20

It depends on the admissions criteria. They don't have to give a sibling preference.

I thought with Lottery systems you usually can end up not getting a place even if a sibling has one.

Original poster

secondthebest · 23/10/2014 10:22

For this school they have priority for special needs, looked after children, siblings, and a few places on distance. The rest of the places are by lottery.

OP posts:

Original poster

secondthebest · 27/10/2014 12:47

Just to update...

I spoke to the LEA and they said that I can be put on the continuing interest list for my second choice school, but only for the second round and not the first round. I phoned the school to check their view in this and they also said in this situation that they will consider children on the continuing interest list in the second round, and that I would be top of that list due to the sibling policy, and there are always places at this stage. The first round is 2 weeks after schools are given, and the second round two weeks after that.

So thank you for the advice given, and hopefully this thread might help other people in the same situation.

OP posts:

cdg1976 · 28/10/2014 21:40

I want to understand, if I put a school out of my borough (a long shot) in first place and then the local school (that my DD is in catchment for though not a feeder school) am i giving her less chance to get in to second choice by putting it in the place? should i infect put this first as its more likely?

don't want to miss out on both by putting second choice as such instead of first.

anyone clear on this to advise?

tippytappywriter · 28/10/2014 21:50

Cdg. You should put them in order of preference. So if you'd prefer the school that is out of catchment you should put that first. If your daughter doesn't get that one she will be considered for the second choice. There is not less of a chance as they are considered at the same time and if you meet the criteria you are offered your highest preference.

TranquilityofSolitude · 28/10/2014 21:52

No, schools don't know where you put them, so you should put them in the order you prefer. If you don't get your first choice they will see if you can get into your second preference, and so on. The most important thing is to have one school you are likely to get on there, even if it's in last place.

cdg1976 · 28/10/2014 22:27

thank you so much ladies… got it!

Flip